Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C13—SUGAR INDUSTRY
  • C13K—SACCHARIDES OBTAINED FROM NATURAL SOURCES OR BY HYDROLYSIS OF NATURALLY OCCURRING DISACCHARIDES, OLIGOSACCHARIDES OR POLYSACCHARIDES
  • C13K1/00—Glucose; Glucose-containing syrups
  • C13K1/02—Glucose; Glucose-containing syrups obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials

Definitions

• This invention relates to acid hydrolysis of cellulose and, more particularly, relates to a process for yielding glucose through acid hydrolysis of cellulose.
• cellulosic waste materials such as cornstalks, sawdusts, straws, bagasse, and the like.
• Cellulosic materials include the principal components--cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Methods for extraction of hemicellulose have heretofore been suggested and/or utilized and such extracted hemicellulose can be utilized by many existing methods including hydrolysis, fermentation, pyrolysis, and the like.
• Lignin has also been isolated from cellulosic materials and since it is higher in hydrogen and carbon and lower in oxygen content than cellulose and hemicellulose it has the highest fuel utility of the three. Isolated lignin can be burned to generate steam and electricity and can also be used to produce a number of useful products including vanillin, dimethylsulfoxide, dimethyl sulfide, and methyl mercaptan and catechol.
• This invention provides an improved process for hydrolysis of cellulose to yield glucose.
• acid hydrolysis of cellulose is effected to yield glucose with the cellulose being recovered from cellulosic materials through treatment of the cellulosic materials to disrupt the structure thereof prior to acid hydrolysis. Lignin is removed either before or after hydrolysis.
• cellulosic materials have a highly ordered crystalline structure.
• lignin in middle lamella poses as a physical seal surrounding the cellulose fibers in such materials.
• acid hydrolysis is utilized to yield glucose from cellulose.
• Cellulosic materials are preferably pretreated to disrupt the crystalline structure and the cellulose precipitated therefrom prior to acid hydrolysis.
• the pretreatment of the cellular materials can be accomplished by selective solvent extraction as follows: cellulosic materials are first extracted with a dilute acid or alkali to remove hemicellulose; the residue is then dissolved in Cadoxen made up of 25 to 30% ethylenediamine and 70 to 75% water with about 4.5 tp 7% cadmium added as oxide or hydroxide (for example, about 10 grams of cellulose may be dissolved in 100 grams of Cadoxen); separating lignin, which does not dissolve, from the cellulose-Cadoxen mixture by filtration or centrifugation; and precipitating cellulose from the cellulose-Cadoxen mixture (as by adding water or an acid).
• the cellulosic materials may be pretreated by contacting the materials with a chelating metal caustic swelling solvent.
• a chelating metal caustic swelling solvent may include an aqueous solution of 17% sodium tartrate, 6.6% ferric chlorideand 7.8% caustic which is stabilized by 6.2% sodium sulfite (all in weight percent). While particularly, such an agent may be formed by:
• the pretreatment of the cellulosic materials in this case involves contacting the materials with solvent in a 1 to 4 weight ratio of residue to solvent.
• A is cellulose
• B is glucose
• C is undesirable side products.
• Reports on the acid hydrolysis of woods based on research conducted during World War II by J. F. Saeman of the U.S. Forrest Products Laboratory, states that the rate of A k .sbsp.1 B is about the same as B k .sbsp.2 C.
• the formation of side products from glucose occurred at about the same rate as formation of glucose from cellulose. Consequently, the maximum glucose level in the hydrolysate was only 23% of the sugar potentially available from the cellulose.
• Over the years some improvements in yields have been obtained by reducing reaction times, increasing temperature and pressure, and modifying processing equipment. Yet with all these improvements, the best yields obtained to date, using this "conventional" technology, are less than 50%.
• the glucose formed must be separated from the acid.
• a process using dilute acid is preferred.
• the acid hydrolysis using a dilute acid is carried out in a closed vessel at 100° to 200° C. in an approach similar to that proposed by Saeman in 1945.
• the cellulose is preferably first pretreated in the manner as described hereinabove.
• Untreated microcrystalline cellulose was hydrolyzed with 0.1% H 2 SO 4 at 125° C. for 42 hours and gave 8% yield of glucose. Liquid chromatographic analysis of the hydrolysate showed formation of side product. In comparison, the same material, pretreated by dissolution in Cadoxen followed by reprecipitation, and washing, gave 13% conversion to glucose with no apparent formation of side products when hydrolyzed under similar conditions as used for the untreated cellulose.
• Untreated and pretreated cellulose were subjected to hydrolysis using ca. 5% H 2 SO 4 at 125° C. in a closed vessel. At the end of three hours, the untreated cellulose showed only 18% conversion to glucose while the pretreated cellulose showed 29% conversion to glucose. Lignin may be separated by filtration or centrifugation either before or after hydrolysis.
• this invention provides an improved process for acid hydrolysis of cellulose.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Emergency Medicine (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Polysaccharides And Polysaccharide Derivatives (AREA)
• Processing Of Solid Wastes (AREA)

Priority Applications (12)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

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Cited By (25)

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Citations (4)

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• 1978
  • 1978-03-08 US US05/884,478 patent/US4174976A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1979
  • 1979-02-27 ZA ZA79946A patent/ZA79946B/xx unknown
  • 1979-02-28 GB GB7907042A patent/GB2016014B/en not_active Expired
  • 1979-02-28 AU AU44697/79A patent/AU521560B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1979-03-02 SE SE7901897A patent/SE439930B/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1979-03-06 DE DE19792908990 patent/DE2908990A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1979-03-07 FI FI790789A patent/FI66645C/fi not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1979-03-07 JP JP2660279A patent/JPS54160755A/ja active Pending
  • 1979-03-07 BR BR7901383A patent/BR7901383A/pt unknown
  • 1979-03-08 CA CA322,979A patent/CA1110233A/en not_active Expired
  • 1979-03-08 FR FR7906023A patent/FR2419324A1/fr active Granted

Patent Citations (4)

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